


Blood is thicker than icing

by patience_for_delia



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: F/F, Vanity Fest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-08-01 03:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16277318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patience_for_delia/pseuds/patience_for_delia
Summary: There is a huge misunderstanding. Written for Vanity Fest day 4.





	Blood is thicker than icing

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any mistakes, constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Vanessa walked towards the woolpack, after a whole day of filing and listening to Pearl gossiping about the entire village she was exhausted. She was hoping for a quiet night in with Charity and the boys.  
When reached the woolpack and opened the door she saw Charity with a worried expression on her face blocking the door to the living room.

“Hiya babe.” Charity said smiling, trying to mask the fact that she was incredibly nervous and failing miserably.

“What have you done?” Vanessa asked unamused.

“Nothing babe, I haven’t done anything.” Charity said nervously.

“Charity, what’s going on?” Vanessa asked in a stern tone.

“Nothing it’s just… Paddy.” Charity blurted out his name.

“Paddy?” Vanessa asked unconvinced.

“Yes Paddy’s in there, with Chas. That’s not something we want to see now, do we?” She shook her head emphasizing her words.

“I just saw Paddy 5 minutes ago at the vets, so unless he has magically turned into flash he isn’t in there. And you’re standing right in front of me so if Chas is in there who’s serving?”

“Great job detective Woodfield.” Charity smiled nervously.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Are you going to tell me what’s happened or do I need to figure it out myself?” She said taking a step forward and reaching for the door handle.Charity stopped her. “Well, erm you can go in there babe but you need to promise me that you won’t freak out.”

“Why would I freak out, what’s happened, are the boys okay?” Vanessa asked all color draining from her face .

“Well the boys are…” Charity tried to find the right word.

Vanessa shoved Charity aside and pushed open the door. The first thing she saw was Moses laying on the sofa looking quite pale. Next she spotted Johnny covered in something red that seemed like blood. Vanessa ran towards him.

“What’s happened!?” She shouted panicked.

“Nothing, he’s fine I promise.” Charity reassured her.

“Fine?! Look at the state of him! I leave my kid with you for a day and he’s covered in blood. You’re right Charity, you _are_ a terrible mother. And what on earth has happened to Moses? She shouted angrily.

Charity closed her eyes, took a breath and held it for a second while nodding slowly. After all the people who accused her of being a terrible mother – including herself – she never expected to hear Vanessa to say it. Never before did it hurt so much to hear those words.

“Where does it hurt love?” Vanessa asked Johnny trying to stay calm. “Don’t just stand there, call an ambulance!” She yelled at Charity.

“It’s icing.” Charity said calmly, her eyes were still closed.

“What?” Vanessa frowned.

“It’s icing, we were baking a birthday cake for you.” Charity explained sadly.

“But it’s so runny.” Vanessa said startled.

“We added to much water.”

Vanessa put some of it on her finger and tasted it. “It’s icing.” She breathed a sigh of relief, and she gave Johnny a tight hug. She felt immensely relieved until she realised what she had said to Charity. Her eyes went wide and she looked over at her, Charity was standing there, broken.”

“I’m so, so sorry Charity. I didn’t mean it, I was just upset, I thought something happened to him. I’m so sorry.” Vanessa pleaded.

“It’s fine. I’m gonna take him for a bath if I’m aloud to touch him. You can borrow one of my tops if you like, you know where to find them.” She pointed at Vanessa’s shirt which got smudged with icing from the hug.

Vanessa looked down at her shirt. “Of course you can touch him! I’m sorry Charity I didn’t mean it.”

“Don’t bother.” Charity said while scooping up Johnny and walking towards the door. “Can you watch Moses, my terrible parenting skills have actually made him sick.” Charity added before closing the door. 

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A while later Charity came back with Johnny wearing a pair of Moses’ pyjamas. Vanessa and Moses where watching paw patrol snuggled together on the couch. Charity put Johnny next to his mother.

“I’m going to bed. These little monkeys have worn me out.” Charity said rubbing their heads smiling at them.

“How are you my little man?” She asked kneeling in front of Moses, gently stroking his hair.

“Better!” Moses said enthusiastically raising his thumb.

“Good , go easy on the batter next time.” Charity warned him smiling. Moses nodded in response.  
“I know you won’t.” She said laughing at him. “Night babe.” She gave him a kiss.

“Night mommy.” He replied.

“Night Johnnybobs.” She said kissing his head.

“Night Chatty.” He smiled fondly.

“Night.” She said to Vanessa already closing the door behind her.

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After Vanessa put the boys to bed and read them a story she walked into Charity’s bedroom and got changed. When she was done she lifted the covers and slid into bed next to Charity, spooning her. She was relieved when Charity didn’t move away from her.

“Are you awake?” She asked quietly.

“Yes.” Charity mumbled.

“I’m sorry.” Vanessa apologized again.

“It’s not like I’ve never heard it before.” Charity shrugged.

“And that’s exactly why I shouldn’t have said it.”

“But you did, and now I know how you feel so we can stop talking about it.”

“That’s not how I feel, not at all. In fact it’s the complete opposite of how I feel.”

“It’s fine babe, I’ll get over it.” Charity said quietly.

“It isn’t fine. I think you are an amazing mom. Surely you made some mistakes but all parents do.”

“Not the kind of mistakes I made.”

“No, maybe not but you said it yourself you _made_ them, you’re not making them anymore and you’re doing everything you can to make up for them. You fought for your children, for all of them and I know you’ll continue to fight for them for as long as you live. And you love the bones of them and they love you just as much as you love them.”

“I don’t think they love me half as much as I love them, after everything I’ve put them through.”

“You can’t change the past, you can only learn from it, apologize for it and make sure you never make the same mistakes again and you did all of that.”

“You should buy another calendar, those positive quotes make me want to puke.”

“I love my calendar, it makes me happy so stop insulting it.” Vanessa said fake hurt.

Charity turned around facing Vanessa.

She sighted. “I just love those kids so much and I hate myself for hurting them.”

“Go easy on yourself Charity. You know what you did wrong, you regret it and you’re doing everything you can to make up for it. Now it’s up to them to forgive you and I’m sure they will, maybe they already did.”

“You think? She asked unconvinced.

“I know and you know how I now?”

“Because you think you know everything.” Charity joked.

“No.” Vanessa laughed. “Because you're a bit like my dad, he left me when I was little but I’ve forgiven him and I still love him and I’m very happy he’s a part of my life now. And him leaving made me who I am today.”

“Then I’m glad Frank left. I wouldn’t want to change a thing about you.”

“Not even the bossy bit?”

“Definitely not the bossy bit.” Charity smiled.

“I used to think I was more like my old men you know, caring more about myself then my children.”

“You’re nothing like your dad, he ruined your life and he didn’t even bath an eyelid.”

“Maybe that’s what I deserve.” Charity said.

“If that’s what you deserve then why I’m I here, laying next to you, trying to make you see yourself the way I see you?”

“I don’t know you must be mad or something.”

“Mad about you maybe.” Vanessa wiggled her eyebrows. Making Charity laugh.“No seriously Charity you’ve been through so much horrible stuff throughout your life. Now you deserve to be happy. And I’m not saying everything will be all fun and games from now on. But it will never be as bad as it was and I promise you that I will do everything I can to make you happy.”  
Charity firmly grasped Vanessa and hugged her tightly. A single tear slipped from her eyes.

“Thank you.” She sniffed. “I must have done something good, to have you here, making huge promises.” She said releasing Vanessa.

“You did a lot of good things and you’ve also grown a lot.”

“What are you calling me fat?”

“No, I meant…” 

“I know that’s not what you meant.”

“I was trying to say that normally you would have kicked me out or you would have ran away yourself and now we’re both here, together, talking about it. I’m impressed.”

“We’re in this together and if I ran a away every time things got bad I would hardly be here now would I?”

“Oh come on things aren’t that bad.” 

“No they aren’t babe, I think things may be the best they’ve ever been.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Vanessa kissed her. Which resolved into them lazily kissing for a little while.

Eventually Charity broke the kiss. “We should probably go to sleep, I need to get up early for all your birthday surprises.” Charity winked.

“You getting up early, that would be the biggest surprise of them all.” 

“Excuse me, it’s your fault I get up late.” 

“How’s that my fault?” Vanessa asked mad at being blamed for something she has nothing to do with.

“It’s impossible to leave the bed when you ‘re next to me.”

“Even though it’s very flattering I know it’s a lie. Because you also get up late when we don’t spend the night together.”

“I guess I’m busted aren’t I?”

“Yes you are.” Vanessa put her head on Charity’s chest and closed her eyes. “I love you.” She mumbled.

“I love you to.”  
“And babe.” Charity added a while later.

“Yes.”

“Don’t ever compare me to Frank again.”


End file.
